Camden Business Awards 2015 - Notes for applicants
Background to the Awards
The Camden Business Awards celebrate the success of Camden businesses and recognise
their contribution to local recruitment, local communities, environmental sustainability and
the built environment.
The awards are a unique opportunity for organisations to gain recognition for their
achievements and receive positive endorsement from Camden Council and the Camden
Business Board.
The winners will be presented with their award at a high profile awards ceremony to be held
on the 2nd June 2015 at the Rosewood Hotel in Holborn.
How to Apply
Please complete the Camden Business Awards application form available from:
www.camden.gov.uk/businessawards
The closing date for applications is: 2 March 2015
Organisations can be entered for more than one award, but a separate registration will be
required for each award entered.
An organisation can only enter one application for each category.
Businesses are required to self-nominate only.
Terms and Conditions
1. The awards are open to all businesses based in the London Borough of Camden
including:
- Sole trader
- A private or public limited company
- Partnership or limited liability partnership
- Charities and community interest companies
- Social enterprises and not-for-profit companies
2. The awards are for such organisations that have displayed the award winning
characteristics themselves.
3. By applying for an award organisations are confirming the following:
- They are based within the London Borough of Camden1
- They are not applying for an award which they are sponsoring
4. That if they win, or submit a particularly outstanding application, they will allow Camden
Council to produce a case study and make this study available to other organisations within
Camden.
5. They will not question the decisions made by the Judges which are final.
6. They will send a representative to receive their prize at the awards ceremony.
7. They will allow a photographer to take images of the award presentation to use in
marketing and press and on the Camden Council websites.
8. The information they provide in their application is a true and honest account of the work
undertaken by their organisation. If information is found to be untrue, the organisation risks
the revoke of any award.
Criteria for individual Awards
Individual awards will be judged against the criteria set out below. Judges of all awards will
favour applicants that demonstrate a commitment to supporting the local community and/or
improving the environment.
1) Employer of the Year
This award is open to all Camden-based businesses regardless of size or sector that
demonstrate excellence and best practice in one or more of the following areas:
*Flexible and/or family friendly working policies and environment
*London Living Wage
Offering apprenticeships to Camden residents
Offering work experience opportunities for local school children and/or unemployed residents
Commitment to local recruitment
Commitment to investing in diversity, skills and well-being of employees
*Additional weighting will be given to businesses who offer London Living Wage and/or
flexible working opportunities
Should you be shortlisted for Employer of the Year, you may be asked to provide an
employee case study based on your flexible working policies
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External contractors based outside Camden will be eligible to apply for Best Large Development Scheme and
Best Small Development Scheme as part of the Camden Design Awards.
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2) Young Entrepreneur of the Year
This award is open to all Camden business owners aged 30 years or younger who have
launched their business in the last 3 years and can demonstrate one or more of the following
criteria:
Exceptional business acumen
Innovation in terms of products or ways of working
Consistent business growth
3) Small Business of the Year
This award is open to all Camden businesses with 50 or fewer employees that demonstrate
one or more of the following criteria:
Excellent business practice
Excellent customer service
Offered an innovative service or product
Significant business growth in the last 2 years
4) Innovative Business of the Year
This award is open to all Camden businesses who can demonstrate innovation in services
and products that have driven business success.
Created competitive advantage
Transformed the organisation or wider industry
Increased market share or customer loyalty
5) Outstanding Contribution to the Community
This award is open to all Camden businesses who have been involved in a project or activity
which has brought measurable benefits to the Camden community. Activities could include
volunteering, mentoring, work with local schools, pro-bono work or anything else that has
had a direct impact on the local community.
Applicants will need to demonstrate:
Evidence of partnership working
Evidence of tackling a social issue
The wider impact that the project/activity has had on the local community
6) Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Carbon Reduction
This award is open to all Camden businesses regardless of size or sector and recognises
excellence and best practice in managing their energy consumption and reducing their
carbon emissions.
The winning organisation will:
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Have managed and reduced carbon emissions resulting from energy consumption
through the implementation of something new, ground breaking or particularly
challenging such as new and innovative technology, approach or project.
Evidence the success of their project with an action plan detailing their approach with
more than one achievement.
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Have good quality evidence, both subjective and quantified to show the benefit that
its achievements have had for the environment since July 2012.
7) Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Sustainability
This award is open to all Camden businesses regardless of size or sector and recognises
outstanding contributions to local environmental sustainability. The winning organisation will:
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Have gone the extra mile working on all fronts to significantly improve or continue to
display excellent environmental performance
Have made significant ground in achieving its challenging and ambitious targets for
environmental improvement such as zero waste or zero carbon
Be working with its stakeholders including staff and its supply chain, taking a
leadership role and setting the example for others
Have an environmental ethic embedded within its core business, with its
environmental performance used as a key measure of success
Have good quality evidence, both subjective and quantified to show the benefit that
its achievements have had for the environment since July 2012.
Built Environment Awards
The following three awards focus on design and construction in Camden. They aim to
reward schemes that demonstrate high quality design in the creativity of their approach and
standard of their finish, as well as meeting the needs of Camden’s residents, businesses and
visitors.
These awards will be collated from the Camden Design Awards and the London Region
LABC Building Excellence Awards. Nominations should be submitted through the Camden
Design Awards webpage which includes details on entry requirements and how to submit.
8) Best Small Development Scheme*
9) Best Large Development Scheme*
10) Best Public Space
Judging
The awards will be judged by panels made up of representatives from the Council,
businesses and experts with relevant specialist knowledge.
Following the 2nd March submission deadline, the council will shortlist applications for
consideration by the judging panels. Each judging panel will meet once to consider the
shortlisted entries for individual awards.
Judging panels will select a winner for each award. Judging panels can also award a runner
up for each award and highly commend other applicants as appropriate.
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Each application will be judged on its individual merits and claims within the application
should be backed up with supporting evidence where possible.
*The Best Small and Best Large Development Scheme Awards are being jointly judged with
Camden Building Control and as such schemes considered for these awards must have
used Camden Building Control for their Building Regulations approval to be eligible.
Sources of Further Support
The following information and support is available to businesses who want to
improve their performance in the below areas.
Carbon reduction and environmental emissions: www.camdencca.org
Flexible and/or family-friendly working policies: www.timewise.co.uk
Apprenticeship opportunities in Camden: www.camden.gov.uk/apprenticeships
London Living Wage: www.livingwage.org.uk
Corporate Social Responsibility
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